WVEC-TV
'''WVEC-TV is the ABC affiliate for the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, which includes Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News & the surrounding area. It's licensed to Hampton, with it's main studio in downtown Norfolk. It's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia. The station broadcasts on ch. 13 & is owned by the Belo Corporation. History The station began operations on September 19 1953, on UHF ch. 15 as an NBC affiliate. It was owned originally by Hampton businessman Tom Chisman along with WVEC radio (1490 AM, now WXTG & 101.3 FM, now WWDE-FM). It switched affiliation to ABC in 1957, when WAVY-TV signed on & took the NBC affiliation due to it's radio sister's long affiliation with NBC radio. On November 13 1959, it moved to it's current location on ch. 13. In 1980, Chisman sold the station to Corinthian Broadcasting, a unit of Dun & Bradstreet. At the time of the sale, it was the last locally O&O "Big 3" station in Hampton Roads. 4 years later, Dun sold Corinthian to Belo, which owns the Dallas Morning News & WFAA-TV in it's home city. In 1997, WVEC (along with The Virginian-Pilot & COX Communications) launched LNC4 (now LNC5), a 24-hour local NewsChannel, featuring repeats of WVEC newscasts & a 10 PM newscast. It's carried by COX Communications on ch. 5 within Hampton Roads. On January 12 2008, WVEC started producing local newscasts in DT widescreen 16x9. Though not truly HD, the DT widescreen broadcasts match the ratio of HD TV screens. Branding & Image Spirit of Hampton Roads In the late 80s, WVEC introduced it's most well-known promotional campaign, "The Spirit of Hampton Roads" - a campaign which has been customized & used by several other Belo Corporation stations (most notably the originator, WFAA-TV's "Spirit of Texas" campaign). WVEC originally dropped it in 1996 & replaced it with another slogan, "Working for You". In 1998 the slogan was changed to "Thirteen Means News," amended in 2001 as "Thirteen Means Local News" - which went along with the musical signature of their new music package "Convergence" by Stephen Arnold Music. But, "The Spirit of Hampton Roads" would finally return in 2003 on New Years Eve. WVEC started phasing out the "Spirit" image in early 2008. WVEC is now branded as "13News Now." As of 2016, the new slogan is "Telling the Stories of Now." Weather Titles *''Nexrad 13'' (1990s-1996) *''Skymax 13'' (1996–2001) *''13 News Weather Lab'' (2001-Present) News Personalities In 1978 upon the resignation of news anchor Tony Burden, WVEC hired ABC News correspondent Jim Kincaid as it's main news anchor. Kincaid's signature became his "Jim's notes," short commentaries which ended the station's nightly newscasts. Compilations of these essays were published in several books authored by Kincaid, including "Notes from Elam," referring to the small town in Prince Edward County, Virginia, where he owns a farm. During the Vietnam War, Kincaid was a war correspondent for ABC. He returned to Vietnam in 1994 & reported from the same locations he had covered in the 1960s, producing an award-winning documentary & series of news stories. Kincaid retired from WVEC in 1997. Another well known news anchor for WVEC was Terry Zahn, who was hired from WAVY-TV in 1994. Zahn was very active with the American Cancer Society & helped establish the Relay for Life in the area. He produced 2 videos about Relay for Life which were distributed nationally & served as chairman of the local Relay, which @ the time was the largest in the US. Zahn was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1997 & died in January of 2000. Each year, the American Cancer Society presents the Terry Zahn Award to a supporter of the Relay for Life. Barbara Ciara was the 5 & 11 PM co-anchor from 1988 until 2000 when she left for cross-town WTKR. On March 7 2003, former investigative reporter, Craig Civale & former general assignment reporter, Michelle Louie were engaged during a live segment of "Joe's Job" on 13 News Daybreak. Michelle was filling in for fellow reporter, Joe Flanagan, where she was to visit a jewelry shop. During a live shot, out pops Craig Civale with ring in hand, where he proposes to Michelle. They both @ the time, had been dating for 5 years. They were married in September 2004. 13 News Anchors *'David Alan' @ 5, 5:30, 6 & 11 PM *'LaSalle Blanks' @ 4, 4:30 *'Lucy Bustamante' @ Daybreak & Noon *'Andre Senior' @ Daybreak & Noon *'Regina Mobley' @ 4, 6 & 11 PM *'Arrianne LeBeau' @ Weekend Mornings *'Janet Roach' @ 4,5 & 5:30 PM 13 News Reporters * Ashley Smith, Traffic * Niko Clemmons * Laura Geller, Investigative Reporter * Elise Brown * Brian Farrell * LaSalle Blanks, Features Reporter * Mike Gooding, Military Reporter * Eric Kane * Jemie Lee * Marcella Robertson * Kristina Zverjako * Chenue Her * Arrianee LeBeau 13 News Weather Lab * Jeff Lawson (AMS Seal of Approval): Chief Meteorologist * Tim Pandajis (AMS Seal of Approval): Weekday Mornings * Evan Stewart (AMS Seal of Approval): Weekend Evenings * Iisha Scott: Weekend Mornings 13 News Sports * Scott Cash, weeknight sports anchor/sports director * Brian Smith, weekend sports anchor/photographer * Willie Byrn, sports photojournalist, fill-in sports anchor Past Personalities *'Sharyn Alfonsi', general assignment reporter from 1997–1999. Joined ABC News as a correspondent in January 2008. *'Doug Aronson', Chief Investigative Reporter until 2005. Now works for S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. in Norfolk *'Kathy Barnstorff', weekend anchor from 1983–1989, reporter until 1998. Now media relations specialist @ NASA. *'Judith Baroody', reporter, anchor and documentary producer 1977-83. Now Executive Director of the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training and a Senior Foreign Service Officer, State Department. *'Kathryn Barrett', began as host of Tidewater Evening in 1983, became medical editor, retired in 2008. *'Natasha Barrett', reporter from 2003–2006. Now reporter @ WJLA-TV in Washington, DC. *'Chris Castleman', weathercaster until 1994. Last seen @ KAIT in Jonesboro, AR. *'Jessica Chang', reporter from 2004–2005. Now reporter for San Diego cable channel 4SD's San Diego Insider newsmagazine. *'Thomas P. Chisman', WVEC's founder. *'Craig Civale', investigative reporter from 2003–2006, left WVEC in January 2007 to join WFAA in Dallas, TX. *'Barbara Ciara', worked there for 2 stints, 1st in the early 1980s until leaving for WAVY in 1983; returned in late 1988 & stayed until 2000, now @ WTKR. Is also President of the National Association of Black Journalists *'Simeon Coxe', reporter specializing in off-beat stories in the 1970s & 80s. Lead singer for the 1960s & 1990s Silver Apples. *'Mark Craft', reporter & contributing correspondent to "Focus" newsmagazine. Now director, external communications @ Duke Energy. *'Lori Crouch', reporter, left on family military transfer to Florida, has since returned to Hampton Roads & is worked as the weekend anchor & investigator @ WAVY-TV. She now works for the City of Norfolk. *'Alveta Ewell', anchor until 1989, then @ WAVY-TV. She is now retired. *'Brad Face', anchor, reporter & sports director from 1975–1984. Now CEO of The Face Companies *'Joe Foulkes', meteorologist during the 1970s & 1980s (died in 1993) *'Jane Gardner', anchor from 1981–1990. Moved to WTKR-TV as anchor from 1990–1998. Now retired. *'Dale Gauding', investigative reporter from 1998 to 2003, previously @ WTKR. Now is a public relations consultant for Sentara Hospitals *'Dr. Duane Harding', meteorologist from 1986 until 1990, later worked for WTKR until 1996. *'Bonita (Billingsley) Harris', weekend anchor & reporter until 2003. Now works for Dominion Virginia Power. *'Sheldon Ingram', reporter in the early to mid 90s, now @ WTAE in Pittsburgh. *'Karen Jones', weekend weathercasterr, morning show co-anchor, reporter, 11pm News Thursday "Backstage" entertainment segment in the early 90s-1997. Now is an author & teaches writing courses. She also still appears occasionally on WVEC as a fill-in weathercaster. *'Jim Kincaid', hired from ABC News in 1978, served as anchor from 1978-96, retired in 1997. *'Nesita Kwan', weekend anchor & reporter from 1990 until 1992. Now health reporter @ WMAQ-TV in Chicago. *'Mike Lewis', anchor/reporter until the mid-1990s. Was most recently lead co-anchor @ WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania. *'Michelle Louie', general assignment reporter. Left back in 2003 for a career in pharmaceutical sales. Married former WVEC reporter Craig Civale in 2004. *'John Miller', news anchor & news director in the 1970s & 80s, morning & noon anchor in the 1990s. Elected Virginia state senator in November 2007. *'Dan Molina', reporter & talk show host in the 1970s. Later a correspondent & Chicago bureau chief for NBC News. Now part of the management team of Shelton & Caudle, a public relations firm in Texas. *'Ramona Parks', weekend anchor/investigative reporter 2001–2005, left to accept a position @ NEA in Washington DC. *'Hank Plante', reporter in the 1970s & 80s. A reporter for KPIX in San Francisco since 1986. A national Emmy & Peabody Award winner. *'Jude Redfield', weekend meteorologist until 2002. Now meteorologist @ WTHR in Indianapolis. *'Danielle Roach', LNC sports reporter ("Varsity Buzz") until May 2004, when she was killed in a car accident. *'Lee Sausley', anchor. Now lead co-anchor @ KRIS-TV in Corpus Christi, Texas. *'Brittany Suddith', morning anchor until January 2002. Worked as a development officer for the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk. Now works for the Mary Kay Cosmetics Company. *'Stan Verrett', now an anchor @ ESPN & ESPNEWS, also worked for rival WAVY. *'Alison Williams', former reporter, left WVEC in 2002. *'Terry Zahn', hired from WAVY in 1994, served as anchor until death from bone cancer in January 2000. *'Albert Zipp', anchor/reporter. Now lead co-anchor @ WBOY-TV in Clarksburg, West Virginia. *'Sandra Parker', anchor/reporter for 26 years before leaving WVEC in 2016. *'Joe Flanagan', anchor/features reporter retired in 2016 after 30 years at the station. *'Velma Scaife', anchor/reporter/ peninsula bureau chief joined the station in 1986. Scaife retired in 2016, after 30 years at the station. *'Craig Moeller', weekday morning meteorologist left WVEC in 2016 after 19 years. He now works as the Chief Meteorologist at KSDK in his hometown of St. Louis. Programs Produced By WVEC-TV *''On the Record'' - 30-minute political affairs program hosted by Joel Rubin & produced by Sam Cook. Airs Sunday mornings @ 12 PM *''Dialogue'' - 30-minute public affairs program hosted by various WVEC news talent. Airs Sunday mornings @ 5:30 AM. *''Alcoholics Anonymous'' - 10-minute overnight program. Each episode is an interview with a different local AA member (their faces are obscured) conducted by Richard Clark. Aired early - Monday mornings @ 3 AM, cancelled in June 2008. See also *LNC 5 External links *13 News' Website